Love Me, Love Me
by Akimi Kono
Summary: Izuru makes Momo go out on Valentine's Day. Toshirou is forced to go out by Rangiku on the same day. They end up going to the same place. Toshi sees Momo across the room... HitsuxHina A/U R&R : Enjoy!


**Title: **Love Me Love Me

**Plot/Summary: **Izuru makes Momo go out on Valentine's Day. Toushirou is tricked into going out by Rangiku. They both happen to go to the same club and Toushirou sees Momo from across the dancefloor.

Toushirou was most certainly _NOT_ in a good mood. He had just spent the better part of the day arguing with his "friend", Rangiku, about what to do for Valentine's Day. Rangiku had suggested setting up a date for Toushirou with Nanao - a very prim and proper woman with a stare as icy as Toushirou's heart.

Toushirou had promptly declined and, when asked what he'd rater do, replied, "I'd rather jump off a building."

Toshi and Rangiku had began arguing again. Rangiku had finally gotten him into a position to bargain.

"I'll have Ikakku dress as a woman and then you can go on a date," the red-haired beauty said calmly.

A bit of fear flashed through the boy's eyes for a second.

"No - "

"You have to! There's nothing else you agreed to - "

"I will do ANYTHING in place of _that_."

Bingo. "Anything?"

"Yes. Just don't make me take that... _thing_ out on a date."

Rangiku smiled triumphantly and held her head up high. "Great! Now that _that's_ settled... you better go get changed."

Toushirou stared at Rangiku. He was already regretting this decision. Maybe it wasn't too late to take Drag Ikakku on a date...

Momo Hinamori was the sweetest, kindest, quietest person you'd ever meet. So it was a surprise to find that she was refusing to do something that her friend asked her.

"Please, Momo," Izuru said softly, "it's been how long since you've been out on the town on Valentine's Day?"

"Never!"

"Exactly. You always stay home, alone, and watch the movies or make a puzzle."

"Well, maybe I like it that way."

"Momo, you are such a terrible liar."

"I've never had a boyfriend, anyways. Why should I go out?"

"Momo," Izuru's voice was unusually stern.

she sighed, her eyes falling to the floor. "Well... maybe I don't deserve.. a nice night out..."

"You are the only person who _deserves_ a nice night out."

Momo smiled up at the tall blond. "Thanks, Izuru."

"No problem."

"Well..." she inhaled, "Um, where exactly are we going...?"

"That is for me to know and you to freak out."

"What?"

"I mean 'find out'."

"Izuru...!"

Rangiku made sure that the only exit of the apartment building that Toushirou was able to reach was the front doors - which opened right into the unfortunate sight of Rangiku's awaiting car.

Toshi walked, grumbling, to the car and sat in the front passenger seat. Rangiku sat in the driver's seat, giggling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Toushirou's voice was familiarly icy.

"Uh, nothing! I'm just... excited is all."

"Hm."

Rangiku looked in the rearview mirror and fixed her loose curls, pursing her lips.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to look like some hobo coming off of the streets. First impressions are everything."

Toushirou stared at her in silence. She finally looked over at him. "What?"

Toshi rolled his eyes. "Can we just _go_, please?"

"Ooh, suddenly eager. Could it be that you're actually a bit excited for this?"

Toshi grumbled, "Just GO."

"Tee hee. You're so funny, Toshi."

"Am I going to regret going with you?"

Rangiku sat back in her seat, applied an even coasting of frosted pink lipgloss and looked at Toushirou. She gave a playful wink, "Oh, most definitely."

"Ugh."

Momo tugged self-consciously at the satin dress she wore and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The doubt in her face stared right back at her and made her very uncomfortable.

"I don't like this dress, Izuru-san."

The blond stood behind her and shrugged. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well... it... it's tight! And satin. I ... I can't move! It's hard to breathe. This color of blue doesn't look very good on me... And... And it's really expensive! I couldn't afford it."

"_I'm_ paying for it."

Momo's face flushed red. She spun around on her petite heels. "Izuru, no!"

"What?"

"You can't buy this for me!"

"Not if you don't like it."

Momo felt her face burn hotter. "Right... um... well, you can't _any_ dress for me!"

"Why not?"

"Because, um..." the young girl glanced around the row of doors leading to dressing rooms, trying to find an excuse to not buy the dress. "Because, um... I look... I look like... a ... door?"

Izuru deadpanned and stared at Momo. She blushed and looked down. "I mean... flat, you know?"

"Get a dress with ruffles."

"Huh?" Her large eyes looked at him curiously.

"If you're embarrassed about looking _like a door_ then get a dress with ruffles. It'll at least give the illusion that you have a shape. If that's what you're worried about, I mean."

"Oh... um... th-thank you, Izuru-san."

They stood in silence for a short while before Izuru spoke up, "I guess _I'll_ go get the dress."

"Thank you!"

The man left the dressing room corner and Momo relaxed, her shoulders slumping. She turned back to her reflection and stared at it. She _was_ wearing a beautiful dress, but she just didn't feel beautiful in it. In fact, she kind of felt (and looked) like a 12 year-old trying to appear to be the sexy, 20-something that struts into a room and demands attention. She sighed and patted the sides of her thighs. People always said that when you found the one dress that you were "meant" to have, you'd feel this deep connection to it, you'd immediately know "That's my dress". But Momo didn't feel the connection to this dress, or the other 20 she had perused on their hangers or the 5 in the window, or the other 3 in her dressing stall, which were also made of satin.

It had only been half an hour, but she was already feeling hopeless, tired and overwhelmed. She wondered why she needed a nice new dress exactly. Was she going to dinner? With Izuru? It was a nice thought in his part but that'd be kind of weird for her. Not that she had anything against hin, but he was her closest friend. Going on a date - especially on Valentine's Day - would be kind of strange.

"Why do I feel like this?" she sighed to herself.

"Like what?"

"Aaaiiieee!" Momo flinched and jumped on her heels, turning around. The deep, booming voice belonged to Izuru, thankfully, and not some strange salesman (one which really did work at the dress shop and had eyed Momo as soon as she stepped into the store). "N-Nothing!"

Izuru stared her for a while, raising his eyebrow slowly. "All right... Well, here's the dress." Izuru handed Momo a heap of slippery cotton and gently pushed her towards the stall. "Go change."

The brunette shuffled towards the door then ran in quickly, slamming and locking the door behind her. She stared at the dress in her hands an sighed. This was probably another dud. But she'd try it anyways - for Izuru.

Momo changed out of the blue satin tourniquet she was wearing and into the dress her friend had given her. It was surprisingly light and airy and the band of ruffles going diagonally across the chest was nice... and the red color wasn't too bad. She stared down at the dress and twisted her body side to side so the body would twirl around her. She giggled softly

"Should I take that as a good sign or as a sign that you've finally lost it?"

The voice was sudden but no surprised to Momo. She took a few deep breaths in, bounced a little on her heels and pulled open the door. She stepped out into the hall where Izuru stood. She bit her lip, having a few droplets of doubt trickle back into her mind but she quickly wiped them away.

Momo knew that whether she dragged this out or not, she would be leaving with a dress, and she would have to see herself in the dress eventually. She closed her eyes and turned on her heels towards the mirror. She stood there, eyes squeezed shut and fists balled up.

"Well aren't you going to look?"

"I will, I will.. just... give me a moment," Momo breathed out. She inhaled deeply 3 or 4 times and then decided it was time. She opened her hands, flung her head up and opened her eyes. She stared in silence at her reflection.

"What do you think?"

Momo didn't respond for a long time. She just stared, quiet. Her eyes were wide and took in everything about herself in the dress. She brushed her hands against the skirt of the dress and bit her lip again. "It's ... beautiful."

Izuru shook his head and walked up behind Momo. "No, it's not."

She looked up at his reflection in the mirror. "Wha - ?"

"It's not the dress that's beautiful," he said lowly, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, "it's you."

Momo blushed hotly, "Izuru-san!"

He shrugged, "What? Did I say something?"

"No, nothing!" Momo quickly made her way back towards the dressing room stall.

"Are you going to get the dress?"

"Yes," she huffed, her face burning, "yes, I am."

The dress: .com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQR5wT5xx7kedFlU1GzE_


End file.
